Fastening device for envelops.



Nn. 693,696. Patented Feb. la. |902.

F. T. FERNANDEZ. l

FAS'TENING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPS.

(Application led May 14 1901.)

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No. 693,696. Patented Feb. la, |902@ A F. T. FERNANDEZ.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR ENVELUPS. (Application filed 'May 14, 1901.) QNuModel.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

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iviTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX THOMAS FERNANDEZ, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO EDVARD OOTAVE DUOROS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPS.

LSEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,696, datedFebruary 18, 1902.

Application tiled May 14, 1901. Serial No. 60,156. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX THOMAS FERNAN- DEZ, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Orleans,in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFastening Devices for Envelops, of which the following is a full andcomplete speciicatiomsuch as will enable those skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fastening devices for envelops; and the objectthereof is to provide animproved device of this class by means of whichan envelop may be sealed in such manner that it cannot be opened withoutdestroyin g or defacing the envelop, so as to leave evidence of the factthat said envelop has been opened.

The invention is fully disclosed inthe followingspecification, of whichthe accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of myimprovement are designated by the saine reference characters in each ofof the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a back view of an envelop withmy improved fastening device; Fig. 2, a plan view of a blank from whichone part of the fastening device is formed; Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 similarviews showing the successive steps of folding the blank shown in Fig. 2;Fig. 7, an opposite side view of the folded blank as shown in Fig. 6;Fig. S, a plan view of another blank from which the other part of thefastening device is formed; Fig. 9, a similar view showing said blankfolded; Fig. 10, an edge view of the blank shown in Fig. 2, on anenlarged scale; Fig. 11, a similar view showing the blank partiallyfolded, as in Fig. 3; Fig. 12, a similar View showing the blank stillfurther folded, as in Fig. 4; Fig. 13, a similar view showing the blankfolded as in Fig. 5; Fig. 14, a similar View showing the blank folded asin Fig. 6; Fig. l5, a section of the folding' flap of the envelopthrough that part of the device which is connected therewith; and Fig.16, a similar section of a portion of the back of the envelop, showingthat part of the device connected therewith.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at a anordinary envelop having end portions a2, a side flap a3, and a foldingflap a4, and in forming the envelop the end portions o2 are folded inthe usual manner and the side flap u. is folded thereover and securedthereto.

In the practice of my invention I provide a sealing device composed oftwo separate parts or blanks h and c. (Shown in Figs. 2 and S,respectively.) The blank b is composed of a central portion Z1',provided at the top with a tongue b2 and at one side with a lateral eX-tension b3, having an arm h4, provided with a hole b5, and opposite theextension b3 the body portion b is provided with an extension b, whilethe bottom of said body portion b is provided with an arm or extensiono?, having a hole bs.

The blank c consists of an oblong strip of sheet metal, providedadjacent to the center with ahole c2, and one end portion c3 of which isprovided with a hole c4 and adapted to be folded' at c5, while the otherend c6 of said blank is provided with a transverse slot or opening c7.In forming the fastening device from these blanks the tongue b2 isfolded over the body portion b' to form a spring-hook, as shown in Figs.3 and 11. The side extension b3 is then folded over the parts b' and b2,as shown in Figs. 4 and 12, and the side extension h5 is then foldedover the part b5, as shown in Figs. 5 and 13, and the part or member 197is then folded over the part b, as shown in Figs 6 and 14, and thisfolding of the parts of the blank b forms a box or casing D", as shownin Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 16, which is adapted to be connected with theside iiap a of the back of the envelop by passing the part or member o7thereof through a slot or opening a5, formed in said side Hap or theback of the envelop, as shown in Figs. l and 16, and the end of the boxor casing b, which is directed toward the folding flap a4 of theenvelop, is open, as shown at d in Fig. 16, and the springtongue h2projects backwardly therein.

The blank c is folded at the dotted line c5, so as to form theyoke-shaped device shown at cs, of which the parts c3 and cform thesides, and the side c is much longer than the side c3, and in practicethe longer side of this device is passed through a slot or opening a inthe flap c4 of the envelop, and a rivet or eyelet a7 is passed throughthe said sides ci ICO and c6 of the yoke shaped device a8 and throughthe folding flap a4 of the envelop, said rivet or eyelet being passedthrough the holes ,c2 and c4 in said blank, which register when saidblank is folded, as shown in Figs. 9 and 15, to form the yoke-shapeddevicev cs. A rivet or eyelet as is passed through the holes b and 68 ofthe side members of the device, which is connected with the back flap a3of the envelop, as shown in Fig. 16.

When the separate parts of the fastening device have been connected withthe separate parts of the envelop, as shown an'd described, all that isnecessary to seal the envelop is to fold the flap a4 in the usual mannerand pass the projecting side member cG of that part of thedeviceconnected with said ap into the box or casing b9, in which operation thespringtongue b2 enters the slotor opening c7 and the envelop is securelysealed and cannot be opened without destroying the envelop.

This device is simple in construction and loperation and preferablyadapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended, and saiddevice is particularly adapted for use in the mailing ofvaluablepackages or expresspackages, but may be used on envelops or similarpackages of any desired kind or class.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fastening device for envelops comprising two parts, one of which isadapted to be secured to the back of the envelop and the other to thefolding iiap, one of said parts comprising a box or casing open at oneend and provided with a backwardlydirected spring-hook, said box -orcasing being also provided with two projecting parallel members whichextend beyond the open end thereof and by means of which the said box orcasing is secured to a portion of the envelop, and

` the other part oi' the device being yoke-shaped in form, and one sidethereof being longer than the other and provided with a slot oropening,said yoke-shaped device being adapted to be connected withanother portion of the envelop, substantially as shown and described. 2.A fastening device for envelops composed of two separate blanks, one ofsaid blanks being oblong in form and adapted to be folded to form ayoke-shaped device, one side of which is longer than the other andprovided with a slot or opening, and the separate sides of which areprovided with holes which register and the other blank being composed ofa body portion provided at one side with a projecting tongue andopposite said tongue with an extension or arm having a hole formedtherein, said body portion being alsoprovided at one side and at rightangles to said tongue with an extension having an arm which projects inline With said tongue and which is provided with a hole and at theopposite side with another extension, said parts of said blank beingadapted to be folded so as to form a box or casing open at one side andprovided with a backwardly-directed springhook and with two parallelprojecting arms or members which extend beyond the open end thereof andare provided with holes which register, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of May,1901.

FELIX THOMAS FERNANDEZ.

Witnesses:

M. T. DU Caos, Louis BARNETT.

